* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download Solar System Presentation
Survey
Document related concepts
Heliosphere wikipedia , lookup
Planet Nine wikipedia , lookup
Scattered disc wikipedia , lookup
Jumping-Jupiter scenario wikipedia , lookup
Naming of moons wikipedia , lookup
Standard solar model wikipedia , lookup
Space: 1889 wikipedia , lookup
Kuiper belt wikipedia , lookup
Planets beyond Neptune wikipedia , lookup
Planets in astrology wikipedia , lookup
History of Solar System formation and evolution hypotheses wikipedia , lookup
Dwarf planet wikipedia , lookup
Transcript
The Solar System The Solar System • According to Aug 24, 06 Resolution the Solar System is composed of: – Eight planets with their moons – Three dwarf planets with their moons – Small Solar System bodies • The major features of the Solar System are: – The Sun – Terrestrial (inner) Planets – Inner Belt of Asteroids – Gas Giant (outer) Planets – Outer Belt of Small Bodies (Kuiper Belt) Heliocentric System • Nicolaus Copernicus developed a sun-centered system called a heliocentric system. • The Earth and the other planets revolve around the sun. • Galileo was the first scientist to use a telescope to look at objects in the sky, which supported Copernicus’s theory. • Johannes Kepler, a German mathematician, discovered that the orbit of each planet is an ellipse. • Isaac Newton concluded that two factorsinertia and gravity combine to keep the planets in orbit. The Sun • The Sun (Sol) contains 99.8% of the Solar System’s known mass. • The Sun dominates the Solar System gravitationally. • The Sun consists of 70% hydrogen, 28% helium, and 2% metals. It’s energy is sustained by nuclear fusion reactions, converting hydrogen into helium and energy. • The Sun releases enormous amounts of energy. Most is sent into space as radiation, including visible light. • The Sun radiates a plasma known as solar wind. Definition of Planet • A “planet” is a celestial body that: – is in orbit around the Sun; – has sufficient mass for selfgravity so it assumes a nearly round shape; and – has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit. Final International Astronomical Union Resolution, Aug 24 06 The Inner Planets • The four inner or terrestrial planets are dense, rocky, have few or no moons, and lack ring systems. Mercury • Closest planet to the Sun and least massive of the planets. It has a very thin atmosphere and has no natural satellite. Venus • It’s atmosphere is 90 times as dense as Earth’s and composed of carbon dioxide. It has no natural satellite and is the hottest planet. Earth • Largest and densest of the inner planets. Only inner planet with evidence of geological activity and liquid hydrosphere. Has one satellite, the Moon. Mars • Less massive than Earth or Venus. Has a carbon dioxide atmosphere. It’s surface contains volcanoes and rift valleys. Has two satellites: Deimos and Phobos. The Inner Belt • Made of mostly small solar system bodies of rocky minerals. Occupies the orbit between Mars and Jupiter. Asteroids • Small solar system bodies found mainly in the Asteroid Belt with elliptical orbits between Mars and Jupiter. Meteoroid • Smaller than asteroids. A meteor is a meteoroid that has entered the Earth’s atmosphere. A meteor that survives impact is called a meteorite. Meteors can produce impact craters. Ceres • Largest body in the asteroid belt and only known dwarf planet in this region. It is spherical and contains a third of the belt’s total mass. The Outer Planets • The four outer planets or gas giants together make up 99% of the mass known to orbit the Sun. The Outer Planets • All four of the gas giants have orbital debris rings. Only Saturn’s rings are observable from Earth. Jupiter • Is at 318 Earth masses. Composed of hydrogen and helium. Has large cloud bands and the Great Red Spot. It has 63 satellites, the largest is Ganymede. Saturn • Has an extensive ring system. Also composed of hydrogen and helium. Has 56 satellites and largely made of ice. Titan is larger than Mercury. Uranus • The lightest of the outer planets. It orbits the Sun on its side (axis is 97o to the ecliptic). Radiates very little heat. Has 27 satellites. Neptune • Smaller than Uranus but is denser and more massive. Radiates more heat than Uranus. Has 13 moons; the largest Triton revolves clockwise around Neptune. The Kuiper Belt • A great ring of debris, similar to the asteroid belt. Composed mainly of icy small solar system bodies. Often called the outer solar system or “trans-Neptunian region.” • The Kuiper Belt is possibly the place of origin for short term comets, such as Halley’s comet. Some objects are affected by Neptune’s orbit. Comets • Small solar system bodies composed largely of ice. When a comet approaches the Sun the surface boils away creating a coma (tail of gas and dust). Pluto • The largest known object in Kuiper Belt. Reclassified as a dwarf planet. Charon orbits Pluto more like a binary system. Nix and Hydra orbit Pluto and Charon. Eris • Largest known scattered disk object (overlaps the Kuiper Belt). 5% larger than Pluto. The largest known dwarf planet. Has one moon, Dysnomia. The Solar System